My 4 month old son has come down with a cough that sounds a little mucousy. The doctor says that it seems viral and since there are no other illness symptoms that we just have to wait it out. I don't want to give him medicine that he doesn't need but I would like to relieve the cough. Are there some remedies that are safe for a baby?

Since sore throats tend to accompany coughs, you could try giving him a small dose of Tylenol to help ease the discomfort. Otherwise, in the US, there's not much you can do for him. The FDA does not recommend, or currently approve, any cough medicines for children under 6.

My 2-month-old get stuffed up a lot. My pediatrician suggested having her sit in the bathroom while I or my husband shower (not specifically me or my husband, anyone showering will do!), which loosens the mucus and makes coughs more productive.

I also took lots of long, hot showers while pregnant and sick, finding that worked well enough that I didn't have to take medication.

I agree with Anne about keeping your baby hydrated as well. That will do a surprising amount of good. Hopefully he's able to feed OK, without being distracted by the cough.

Use onions with sugar. Just chop up an onion (not too fine, bigger chunks are totally OK) and put some sugar on top of it. The sugar will get the juice out of the onions and create a syrup. Give some of the syrup to your child. You will find this recipe with honey too, but don't use honey if your child is under one year of age!